The High Court rules it will hear Queensland’s Director of Public Prosecutions’ appeal against the downgrading of Gerard Baden-Clay’s murder conviction to manslaughter.

The former real estate was jailed for life in 2014 for killing his wife Allison at their Brookfield home, in Brisbane’s west.

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However, the murder conviction was downgraded to manslaughter in December after he successfully appealed.

His lawyers argued there was not enough evidence to prove he intentionally killed Allison, who may have fell and hit her head during an argument.

They then suggested a hypothesis that he covered up the death, by dumping it in a local creek, out of panic.

Thousands of people protested in Brisbane’s King George Square when Baden-Clay’s conviction was downgraded and more than 73,000 people signed a petition calling for the appeal.

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath broke news to sitting MPs shortly after the decision was announced, but would not comment further as the matter was before the courts.